Cats are generally perceived as independent, but they’re also capable of displaying undying loyalty, a quality that is usually characteristic of dogs. Proving the point is this poor Russian cat that has been waiting for its owners for over a year at the exact spot where they abandoned him.

The cat was first photographed sitting on a manhole cover in Belgorod city, in the summer of 2015, by a man named Ostap Zadunayski. He then noticed the cat sitting at the same spot day after day, and curious to know more about this unusual behavior, he asked local residents for more information.

That’s when he discovered that the cat’s owners used to live nearby, but they sold their apartment last year and moved away, leaving the poor creature behind . Eyewitnesses told Ostap that they actually saw the cat run after the car as the owners drove away. Since then, it has been patiently waiting at the same spot for their return, living off the food offered to him by kind locals.

Photo: Ostap Zadunayski

“This is a great example of human meanness and true animal loyalty,” Ostap said, while praising locals for their kindness.

Ostap posted photographs on Russian social networking website VKontakte, comparing the cat’s plight to the heartbreaking story of Greyfriars Bobby – a dog who was famous in 19th century Edinburgh for guarding his owner’s grave for 14 long years.

Photo: Ostap Zadunayski

The sad kitty reminded us of the legendary Hachiko, the Japanese Akita Inu who spent years waiting for his dead master, and whose touching story eventually saved his breed from extinction.

But as heartbreaking as the story of the cat is, some internet users think that it could be a highly embellished tale. They agree that the cat might have been abandoned, but suspect that it might be returning to the same spot every day just to be fed.